At an early age, we learn to look both ways before we cross the street. Legally, in almost all places, pedestrians have the right of way. But the laws of physics do not care about the laws of us humans, and if a car hits a pedestrian, that's bad for the person not in the moving vehicle. Helping people of all ages cross streets safely helps save lives.

In urban areas, we use pedestrian traffic lights, often simply called "walk signals," like the one seen above. That's an old New York City version, but it's pretty clear what it's trying to say. When the red hand is lit, you should stop; when the person lights up in white, look both ways and pay attention, but it should be safe to cross.

Effective -- but boring. And when people are bored, they may zone out. So in 1999, Taiwan introduced a new traffic light and a new local hero: Xiaolüren, seen below.